BullMarketRun.com

Check back later today for Daniel’s Den and visit the BMR comments section throughout the day for updates and helpful information.

1. Gold touched a fresh 4-week week this morning of $1,288…as of 7:00 am Pacific, bullion is up $3 an ounce at $1,286…Silver has added 8 cents to $16.60…Copper has pushed 5 cents higher to $3.26 (Copper for December delivery closed at its best level in more than 3 years yesterday at $3.26)…Nickel has eased off 4 pennies to $5.42 while Zinc is steady at $1.48…Crude Oil has slipped 36 cents to $59.73 after pushing through $60 yesterday for the first time since June 2015 thanks to new supply disruptions…meanwhile, the U.S. Dollar Index is off one-third of a point at 92.99…the U.S. consumer confidence index is still very high but slipped more than expected in December to 122.1, as reported by the Conference Board this morning…November’s reading, meanwhile, was revised downward to 128.6…

2. If a Santa Claus rally during this holiday-shortened week lifts the Dow above 26.5% on the year, it would be the strongest gain since 1995 when the blue-chip index spiked 33%…of course it’s not just the 30-stock Dow that’s on fire…the broader S&P 500 has zoomed 20% this year, similarly on track for its best performance in 4 years…and the NASDAQ has left both behind, climbing nearly 30%…unlike the chaos in turbulent Bitcoin, and other cryptocurrencies, the stock market chugged along all year without any major hiccups…market tantrums proved to be minimal, and terrific buying opportunities whenever they occurred…the S&P 500 hasn’t even suffered a 3% pullback (over 1 or more multiple days) since prior to the November elections…that’s the longest stretch on record…extreme calm has sent the VIX (Volatility index) to all-time lows…

3. U.S. stocks are off slightly to begin the session with the Dow 10 points lower as of 7:00 am Pacific…in Toronto, the TSX has added 25 points while the Venture has surged 9 points to 819 after the first 30 minutes as it gets set to challenge its 2017 and 2016 highs…Wolfden Resources (WLF, TSX-V) is showing strength in early trading, up 2 cents at 50 cents on high volume…WLF recently commenced a drill program at its newly-acquired Pickett Mountain Project, a high-grade VMS target and historic deposit in Maine…Crystal Lake Mining (CLM, TSX-V) has jumped 8 cents to 70 cents after announcing the closing of a $700,000 financing at 50 cents…CLM is preparing to drill its promising Nickel-Copper-Cobalt-PGE Property in northwest Ontario…National Access Cannabis (NAC, TSX-V), closing in on its late November high, is up 9 cents at 70 cents…last Friday, the company announced a partnership with the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation of Manitoba to establish a retail recreational cannabis store on First Nation land northeast of Winnipeg, the 5th such agreement between NAC and First Nations in that province…NAC has likely tapped into a lucrative market…Canopy Growth (WEED, TSX) has hit another new all-time high this morning, above $25…on the CSE, Cannabix Technologies (BLO, CSE), the leader in marijuana breathalyzer development for law enforcement and the workplace, has jumped 16 cents to $2.10…

4. Fintech Select (FTEC, TSX-V) is up modestly in early trading after announcing that it has successfully launched its Selectcoin Cryptocurrency POS platform and is working with its internal staff and distributors to continuously activate locations and train retailers within its distribution network…the Selectcoin website will be updated today with some retailer addresses that have been set up with the Selectcoin platform and marketing material where consumers can buy Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies…additional retail locations will gradually be added to the website, as well, the company said, adding that it’s also in the process of launching an awareness campaign across social media and through public relations initiatives…FTEC is 3 cents higher at 43 cents as of 7:00 am Pacific after nearly touching its rising 50-day SMA, currently 39 cents…

5. Israel’s markets regulator will propose a ban on companies based on Bitcoin and other digital currencies from trading on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange…Shmuel Hauser, the chairman of the Israel Securities Authority, says he will bring the proposal to the ISA board next week…if approved, it would be subject to a public hearing and then the stock exchange bylaws would need to be amended…

6. Mining companies have enjoyed a stellar year with the combined market capitalization of the globe’s top 50 firms year-to-date rising $141 billion to a collective total of $896 billion…the majority of the gains were recorded since August…the main beneficiaries were the top 10 companies included on the list, compiled by Mining.com…they made up half of the sector’s value, rising 65%…the best results came from China Molybdenum with its stock rising 150% this year, now worth more than $20 billion…the mining company rose from 31st to 4th on the list…

7. A proposed large Gold and Copper mine that nearly got buried by the Obama administration has moved closer to reality with its developers, Northern Dynasty Minerals (NDM, TSX), filing new permits with the federal government…this marks a milestone for the project that has seen renewed interest since President Trump appointed former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to head the EPA.  “At the outset of 2017, we established three ambitious corporate objectives for Northern Dynasty and the Pebble project,” said Northern Dynasty President and CEO Ron Thiessen. “We committed to reaching a resolution with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restore the Pebble project to normal course permitting, to re-partnering on the Pebble Project and to initiating permitting under NEPA. As we approach the end of the year, I’m proud to report that we will hit our mark on all three important milestones.”  NDM, which plunged from $4.54 to $1.43 between January and March, continues to slowly recover and is off 3 cents at $2.31 in early trading today…

Next 10% Move In Garibaldi Resources

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The Nickel Mountain Magma Highway

Two Big Plays Emerge in B.C., Setting The Stage For A Summer To Remember

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The Dramatic New Chase For A Nickel-Copper-Rich Massive Sulphide Deposit In The Heart Of A Famous Gold Camp

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The Most Important Venture Development Since The New Bull Market Began

7:30 am Pacific

Canadian equity markets remain closed for Boxing Day but trading resumes tomorrow after a 4-day Christmas break with the Venture starting at its best level in 7 months and just 5% shy of a 3+ year high.

On the metals front as of 7:30 am Pacific today, Gold is up $7 an ounce at $1,281, Silver has added 9 cents to $16.47, Copper and Nickel are steady to slightly higher at $3.21 and $5.46, respectively, Zinc at $1.47 is nearing its 2017 multi-year high, while Cobalt is at another new multi-year high of $34.25.

…it all bodes very well for a strong Venture finish into year-end.

Gold Chart In Canadian Dollars

It’s often helpful to look at Gold’s performance in Canadian dollar terms to accurately gauge the near-term direction of the yellow metal.

What this 3+ year chart tells us is that Gold’s multi-year uptrend in loonie terms continues; however, momentum has waned over the past 5 months with bullion unable to penetrate Fib. resistance at $1,657 which essentially corresponds to $1,300 – $1,310 U.S. based on current exchange rates.

On Friday, bullion closed at $1,626 CDN, $1 above the 50-day moving average (SMA).

The uptrend support and the RSI(14) pattern are the most encouraging aspects of this chart.

Volatility has been unusually low in recent months, perhaps setting the stage for something dramatic in Q1.

Resistance ($1,650’s) and support ($1,600 and then $1,520 which equals $1,200 U.S.) are well-defined.

Perhaps the key takeaway from this chart is that “Decision Time” for Gold is drawing near (first half of 2018) with the uptrend line approaching Fib. resistance.

This Gold chart is somewhat indecisive but we can see that there is plenty of room to the upside if the metal can successfully overcome the $1,650’s.

Taking into account the current technical posture of the Venture, in addition to seasonal factors, the balance of probabilities in our view favors a breakout in Gold during Q1 as opposed to a breakdown.  For investors, this means opportunities in high quality Gold (and Silver) producers in addition to the best speculative plays.

2017 has been an extraordinary year, not just in the markets but across all segments of society.

It is our hope and prayer at BMR that everyone everywhere this Christmas will have time to pause and reflect on the real reason for the season.

Just over 2000 years ago Luke recorded the birth of Jesus Christ:

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world (this was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria).  And everyone went to their own town to register.   So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 

“He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.  While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.   And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 

“An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'” (Luke 2: 1–12, New International Version)

A Savior was born and He is Christ the Lord.  He came for all of us.

Humble beginnings…

A manger is something that is used to hold food and water for animals, so it’s significant that this is where a divine baby was born.  From the beginning, Jesus was and still is God with the people.  He came to earth in humble beginnings, lived a humble life, and died on a cross for the sins of the world.

In similar style, the first people to be informed of the birth of baby Jesus were the shepherds.  In those days shepherds were one of the lowest of society.  They were out in the fields living with the animals, not living in castles.  The angel of the Lord gives them the Good News for the world.  The angel tells them that a Savior has been born to them, not only for them but for the whole world.  The angel does not say He was born for some of the people.  Jesus was born for ALL the people, ALL races, ALL ethnicities, ALL genders, ALL classes.  He is for ALL.

Christmas is a time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus but it is also a day when we celebrate all that He accomplished by willingly going to the cross (for us) in His death.  He came to save the world and He wants all of His children to be in relationship with Him.

It is our corporate prayer that this Christmas you will feel the Hope of Christ, the Love of Christ, the Joy of Christ, and the Peace of Christ as you share this precious time with friends and family.

As you reflect on the reason for the season, may you also serve and help others who have been less fortunate this year.

From our homes to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Warmest regards,

Jon, John, Daniel and the team at BMR

BullMarketRun.com

Check back later today for Daniel’s Den and visit the BMR comments section throughout the day for updates and helpful information.

1. Gold has traded between $1,266 and $1,270 so far today…as of 7:00 am Pacific, bullion is up $2 an ounce at $1,268…Silver has added 7 cents to $16.17…both Gold and Silver appeared to bottom last week at key technical support levels…Copper is up slightly at $3.19 while Nickel continues to shine, up another 2 cents to $5.47…Cobalt, meanwhile, is at a new decade high just above $34 a pound…Crude Oil has slipped 36 cents to $58.00 while the U.S. Dollar Index is flat at 93.39…the U.S. Commerce Department reported this morning that Core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE), which strips out volatile food and energy prices and is the central bank’s preferred inflation measure, showed an annual increase of 1.5% in November, in line with consensus forecasts but well below the Fed’s 2% target…

2. Palladium prices jumped to a 17-year high today, touching $1,042, as strong demand from autocatalyst makers reinforced the prospects of market shortages…analysts predict that about 80% of global Palladium demand estimated at more than 10 million ounces next year will come from autocatalysts for gasoline powered cars, which many now prefer over diesel fueled vehicles…Palladium prices have doubled since January 2016 after Germany’s Volkswagen admitted in September 2015 that it had used illegal software to cheat U.S. diesel emissions tests…diesel’s share of the European auto market continues to fall, and the flip side of that is that gasoline’s share is rising…meanwhile, Chinese car sales, supporting Palladium, remain strong, while 2018 is set to be the 7th successive year of large deficits in the Palladium market according to GFMS analysts in a recent research note…

3. Bitcoin briefly plunged below $11,000 (U.S.) this morning, a drop of more than 40% in 5 days with the digital currency on track for its worst week since 2013…the sharp decline triggered temporary, built-in trading halts in Bitcoin futures traded on the CME and Cboe…the biggest and best-known cryptocurrency had seen a staggering 20-fold increase since the start of the year, climbing from less than $1,000…

4. Despite its headline-grabbing performance this year, Bitcoin is actually one of the worst performing assets in the cryptocurrency space according to analysts from Bloomberg Intelligence….the recent Bloomberg report noted that Bitcoin is losing ground as the digital currency benchmark to its younger rivals and may end up as the primary short target in 2018.  “Bitcoin’s pioneer status should continue to drag on its performance,” the report said. “Among the primary constituents in the MVIS CryptoCompare Digital Assets 10 index, Bitcoin is 2017’s worst performer. When the frenzy fades, Bitcoin’s fate may mirror Internet pioneers Netscape and AOL”…the Bloomberg report said that Bitcoin is no longer the best representation of cryptocurrencies because of its technological inferiority compared to its peers…contenders to overtake Bitcoin’s dominance are second generation (2G) crypto coins which focus on superior speed and efficiency…

5. U.S. stocks are off slightly in early trading…Wall Street was relieved that lawmakers agreed on a plan to prevent a government shutdown…the Senate passed a bill to keep the federal government funded through January 19…the bill, which also cleared the House, is expected to be signed by President Trump…in Toronto, the TSX has slipped 16 points as of 7:00 am Pacific while the Venture is off 5 points at 799 with cryptocurrency and blockchain stocks under some pressure…Castle Silver Resources (CSR, TSX-V), a Cobalt-focused play that has released more high-grade results from two properties this month, has touched a new multi-year high of 35 cents in early trading…CSR is the only company in Canada’s top Cobalt region (northern Ontario) with underground access to Cobalt mineralization, at the past producing Castle mine near Gowganda…significantly, it also has a proprietary process (Re-2OX) to convert Cobalt material to meet the high purity specifications of the battery sector…more results from an ongoing underground program at Castle are pending, along with a name change to better reflect the company’s focus on Cobalt…

6. Mining companies have enjoyed a stellar year with the combined market capitalization of the globe’s top 50 firms year-to-date rising $141 billion to a collective total of $896 billion…the majority of the gains were recorded since August…the main beneficiaries were the top 10 companies included on the list, compiled by Mining.com…they made up half of the sector’s value, rising 65%…the best results came from China Molybdenum with its stock rising 150% this year, now worth more than $20 billion…the mining company rose from 31st to 4th on the list…

7. Some interesting statistics investors in Nickel, Copper and Cobalt should take note of – Glencore commissioned CRU to measure the impact the global shift away from internal combustion engines to an electric vehicle market would have on metal markets…the London-based research company modeled metal requirements across the supply chain – from generation and grid infrastructure through to storage, charging and vehicles – based on relatively modest penetration of EVs in the total global vehicle market out to 2030…according to the study, as early as 2020 when EVs would still make up only 2% of new vehicle sales, related metal demand already becomes significant, requiring an additional 390,000 tonnes of Copper, 85,000 tonnes of Nickel and 24,000 tonnes of Cobalt…based on an EV market share of around 30% in 2030, forecast metal requirements are roughly 4.1 m tonnes of additional Copper (18% of 2016 supply)…the move away from gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles would need 56% more Nickel production or 1.1 m tonnes compared to 2016 and 314,000 tonnes of Cobalt, a 4-fold increase from 2016 supply…

Next 10% Move In Garibaldi Resources

Thunder In The Corridor!

The Nickel Mountain Magma Highway

Two Big Plays Emerge in B.C., Setting The Stage For A Summer To Remember

How To Bring A Junior Resource Market To Life!

The Dramatic New Chase For A Nickel-Copper-Rich Massive Sulphide Deposit In The Heart Of A Famous Gold Camp

Northern Ontario Cobalt Junior Attracts Interest From Metal Trading Companies

The Most Important Venture Development Since The New Bull Market Began